Jack Aitken : “Anything is always possible !”

In a category known for its competitiveness, eight drivers battled for the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship at the season finale held at Circuito de Jerez. A week after winning the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS crown, Jack Aitken won the European title. For most of the season, the 20-year old Englishman was in the pack and had to create an exploit to follow Nyck de Vries in the discipline’s record book.

At the age of 7, Jack Aitken debuted in karting before being noticed on both the national and European Rotax Max scene. In 2012, he moved up to single-seaters with Fortec Motorsports in the InterSteps Championship. Winner in his fifth start, he finished the season third in the championship.

Evaluating his options during the off-season, the London native raced in the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series. While he came up one point short in the championship, his impressively consistent presence at the sharp end of the order was followed by a season in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC with Fortec Motorsports. He confirmed his potential in finishing runner-up, behind team mate Matt Parry. The young man also surprised when he ran in the top ten in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 at the Red Bull Ring.

In 2014, Jack Aitken concentrated on the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. After a difficult start to the season, the member of the BRDC Rising Stars programme was on the rise with his first podium result at the Nürburgring, followed by his maiden win at the Hungaroring before a double podium weekend at Jerez.

Motivate by a one-shot in Pro Mazda, Jack Aitken prepared for his 2015 by heading across the Atlantic to win the Winterfest before joining Koiranen GP, for a title run both in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS.

The Briton overcome an injury sustained at Monza to take the crown in ALPS during the final round at Jerez, while the road to the title in the Eurocup revealed to be just as complicated. He lost a podium result at Motorland Aragon when he was hit from behind by another driver when following the safety car. After a poor weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, he left Belgium in 12th place before he got his title bid back on course with his first win at the Hungaroring.

With his back against the wall and trailing Louis Delétraz by 62 points, Jack Aitken won on home soil at Silverstone, and then did it again at the Nürburgring. Well positioned in the championship fight, he has a perfect Saturday at Jerez to take the championship lead. Surprised by a wet track surface on Sunday morning, his rivals could not reverse the tide.

“This title is a huge relief”, admits Jack Aitken. “The start of the season was very complicated and we decided to go for it race after race. There were some difficult times, like when I sustained a fracture at Monza. In spite of this, we never gave up. The Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 is a very competitive category and we knew that if Louis began to struggle, we had to be there to make the most of it. Anything is always possible.”

“The Saturday at Jerez was perfect. Koiranen GP worked very hard to give me an excellent car and I am fast in the wet. When things became harder we were in a position to win and speed is capital in the quest for a title. This made the difference late in the season. I am all the same a little disappointed to have not won the team title because they allowed me to become a better driver. It was also the first season where I was really able to focus on motor racing because I had finished my studies.”

“This winter, I will also work hard to be ready to put in a good start to the season next year ! There are several possibilities, including the Formula 3.5 V8 and the GP3 Series. We will participate in some tests before making a decision.”

Jean-Pascal Dauce, Renault Sport Technologies Motorsport Director : “Congratulations to Jack for his title. In a category as competitive as the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, his win show several qualities : cohesion, determination and ambition. He could have become discouraged, but each adversity pushed him to come back stronger. To win at the last minute against seven competitors is always impressive, and it was done while mastering the deplorable weather conditions that marked the Jerez round. After three years in Formula Renault 2.0, Jack is now ready to move on to the next level. We thank him for the trust he has shown in us and we have faith in his talent to follow the path of his illustrious predecessors, including Robin Frijns, Stoffel Vandoorne, Pierre Gasly and Nyck de Vries ! Remember this name !”